Houston - Public transport

Travel by bus

Metro

For suburb or out of town commuters, the Metro service extends to Vanpools and Carpools, Park and Ride etc to allow the commuter every possibility of use of the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle Lane). Metro stops are easily identifiable by ‘Bus Stop’ indicators on the roadside. The buses are white with a large red and blue diagonal stripe. Fares vary considerably from the free trolley service within the downtown limit, to single fares from $1.00 - $3.50 depending on the zone for use of the buses rising to $315.00 for a yearly pass. Exact change must be offered or relevant passes, of which an excellent selection is available.

The diesel trolleys are traditional, convenient and fun for tourists or residents. Running about every seven minutes during the week and ten minute intervals during the weekend, they cover a circular network within downtown.

Nearly 1500 buses covering 132 routes and some 25 park and ride facilities, METRO also extends services and park and ride programmes for special events in partnership with the sponsors of major public events, such as Rodeo Houston and the Houston Livestock Shows.

Tickets, tokens, passes, schedules and routes are available at Metro Ride Stores as well as discounted I.D. cards and information on the other services such as Metrolift, a curb-to-curb service for both seniors and people with difficulty riding the scheduled services.

The websites are comprehensive, lists all schedules, routes and construction services on-line as well as information regarding the recent facility called Metrolink whereby customers may opt to have emailed scheduled etc. Fare breakdown and prices for the various passes, including significant senior and teenager / child discounts are clearly explained in the ‘Fare information’ section of the site.

Coach USA is a bus and freight service offering tours of the area and Galveston and airport shuttles to and from downtown. Destinations and prices as well airport pickup points are available on website: www.coachusa.com

Travel by train

Rail travel to and from HoustonAmtrak’s Sunset Limited line from Florida to California offers a Southern experience through New Orleans, Houston and Del Rio. The service stops at Houston at the downtown passenger terminal three times a week. The terminal is located at 902 Washington Ave., just north of downtown. For information Tel: 1 800 872 7245 website: www.amtrak.com The website is a comprehensive site and has booking, service and route details.